Anyway, we did something a little different this Succos. My husband and I were invited to help host a yom tov for a group of teens at risk. This wonderful organization took the entire group, plus our family and another hosting family, to Florida for Succos. My husband's job was to run therapy groups, conduct the yom tov meals and speak, and generally to be "available" to talk and give chizuk to the kids. My job was basically to take care of mykids and enjoy the Florida sunshine, but in the end I ended up forming a relationship with quite a few of them, listening to their sad stories, and learning a lot about what it means to be strong and to have courage.
So the experience turned out to be a positive one, despite my reservations. They loved my kids and took them out for me at different times while I grabbed a nap or a swim. It was quite a memorable eight days and when it was over we were honestly sad to see them go. And so were they. But we already arranged to have them for upcoming Shabbos meals so I'm looking forward to that.
I did not want to lug my studio camera to Florida so I took only my pocket Canon - however, with a few little tricks, you CAN get "professional looking" outdoor shots with any old camera and I'm including some of those tricks below for the next time you go on vacation...
Then... Mazal Tov! My twin sister gave birth to an adorable baby girl right before Rosh Hashana, so off we flew to Baltimore for the second days to visit (see photos below!)
AND believe it or not... we actually were able to squeeze in two photo shoots this month (how 'bout that?) so you'll get to see those too.
Oh one more thing. Not enough of you are "voting" for your favorite photos. Please send in your picks so I can continue offering my 25% prize to the families that win... Thanks.
Tips for Taking Better Photos on Vacation
1. Natural sunlight is the best, so don't even bother with those indoor/red eye shots and head outside. Be careful though - harsh, direct sunlight can produce weird looking shadows and wash out details in the face. Make sure you take your pictures in complete SHADE.
2. Try to shoot photos early morning or late evening when the sun is at its "golden hours." Your photos with have warm, inviting colors instead of flat, blueish looking casts. Keep in mind that little kids might be best off in the morning.
3. Don't center your subject in every picture- use the rule of thirds. Picture three lines dividing the frame into thirds and position your subject either at the right third or the left.. (see my photo of Ita below...)
4. Stop relying on the LCD screen of your digital camera and get eye to eye with your subject especially babies and little ones. Zoom in close and fill the frame.
5. Backgrounds can play a huge role in how interesting your photos are. Watch out for clutter and other distracting elements. Don't use a busy or competing background and remove everything that doesn't connect to your subject. On my first photos of Tzvi , I didn't realize that I had my double mountain buggy in every picture... Stuff like that...
Hope these help! Enjoy the photos!
Moishy is having his haircut this month...He was so cooperative and gorgeous, too!
We chose this one for our big wall portrait...Mazal Tov Hecht Family! You should have only nachas!
Not only did Moishy know where the aleph was, he knew the rest of them too!
This young man was such a pleasure to photograph.. he was so well-behaved and photogenic - a pleasure.
Those precious smiles don't hurt, either...
This future architect was a whiz with my blocks...this was only one of the many intricate designs he constructed for me!
Mazal tov Katz's! He should bring you only nachas!
Now for our pics... here's Baby Tzvi in the little place we stayed at. Ita actually nicknamed it a "hotelo" = a combination of hotel and bungalow... I turned off the camera's flash and used the light coming from a big window for this shot.
I love this picture. See how you can see almost forever into this picture? The converging lines create that sense of depth. Little Tzvi is trying to remember if he knows how to go down steps...
Ita has totally learned how to model. I guess being forced to pose for hundreds of pictures will eventually do that...
This one was my favorite of Ita - She had such a wonderful time there, and she's a real fish in the pool. I'm glad she had a change of scenery... it was good for all of us.
And finally, my yummy brand new niece, ka"H. Here we also used natural light coming from my sister's big bedroom window. Mazal Tov D&S - you should have a lot of nachas (and more sleep!).
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